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Safety and efficacy of tacrolimus and pimecrolimus in atopic dermatitis patients previously treated with corticosteroids

A post hoc analysis of three multicenter, randomized, 6-week studies comparing tacrolimus and pimecrolimus ointment in 347 adult and pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) previously treated with corticosteroids (CS) was conducted. There were 171 patients randomized to tacrolimus 0.1% ointment and 176 to pimecrolimus 1% cream. Based on the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scores, tacrolimus was significantly more effective than pimecrolimus (53.2 vs. 33.7% improvement; P = 0.0002). Tacrolimus was also significantly more effective than pimecrolimus on several secondary endpoints such as percentage of body surface area affected, visual analogue assessment of itch. The frequency of adverse events was comparable between treatments; 24% on tacrolimus and 25.6% on pimecrolimus. ...